Olympic Golf Is Back, and the Pros Have Grown to Appreciate It

The Olympic tournament isn't as big as the majors, but ask those who won medals or fell just short—it matters a lot more than before, Bob Harig writes.

Rory McIlroy (pictured in Tokyo in 2021) is hungry to return to the Olympics and take home a medal. / Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images

It was coincidence, but also somewhat fitting, that the only two Olympic Golf male gold medal winners in modern times were also dueling for the Claret Jug a week ago in Scotland.

Playing together in the second-to-last group at Royal Troon, Justin Rose (the winner of the Rio Olympics in 2016) and Xander Schauffele (who took gold in Tokyo in 2021) would undoubtedly say that competing for one of golf’s major championships is a bigger, more prestigious deal than an Olympic medal.

And yet they have both spoken eloquently about how much golf gold meant to them as well.

The Olympics, for golfers, is not the pinnacle. But it can become pretty important over time, which was always the goal. And those who have been involved say it is far more meaningful than they could have ever imagined going in.

With that as the backdrop, golf is set to be played for the third time this week in the Olympic Golf Tournament to be conducted at Le Golf National outside of Paris.

The one-time home to the DP World Tour’s French Open and the 2018 Ryder Cup won by Europe, it will see a good field with the likes of two-time major winner Schauffele, No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland and plenty of others.

While the entire field might not be the strongest, lest we forget a couple of players outside of the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking finished second and third to Schauffele in Tokyo—Rory Sabbatini and C.T. Pan, who claimed bronze in a playoff over six others, including McIlroy.

McIlroy was among several players—Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Jason Day among them—who skipped the Rio games over various levels of indifference.

“I made some comments before that were probably uneducated and impulsive, but coming here and experiencing it, seeing, feeling everything that goes on not just Olympic golf but just the Olympics in general, that sort of Olympic spirit’s definitely bitten me,” McIlroy said in Tokyo. “I’m excited how this week’s turned out and excited for the future.”

McIlroy shot 67 in the final round three years ago to finish two shots back of Schauffele and one behind Sabbatini and in that seven-way tie for third that took a four-hole playoff to decide. He was eliminated on the third extra hole.

“I never tried so hard in my life to finish third,” McIlroy said. “It makes me even more determined going to Paris and trying to pick up one up. It’s disappointing going away from here without any hardware.

“It’s been a great experience. Today was a great day to be up there in contention for a medal, certainly had a different feeling to it than I expected and as I said, I’m already looking forward (to this year’s Olympics) and trying to go at least one better but hopefully three better.”

McIlroy is being joined by Irish teammate Shane Lowry, who took part in the opening ceremonies Friday.

Paul Casey was among those who tied for seventh three years ago. And the result still stings for the Englishman, who now plays for LIV Golf.

“To finish at the time tied third and then walk away from the Olympics with nothing is pretty sobering,” Casey said. “But it gave me an understanding of what it's like for Olympic athletes to sort of have something that you've worked so hard for, in our case, four years, and then sometimes your Olympic experience is quite humbling.

“In our sport, obviously very different, we play almost week in and week out. On the bright side, I've never been a part of anything like that, to represent your country at any level, and I've done it at an amateur level right through to professional. The Olympics ranks right up there as one of the greatest things I've ever done, taking the results out of that.”

And therein lies part of the beauty of golf in the Olympics. It might not be the same as winning a major championship, but it is meaningful, nonetheless, and promises to get more so as time goes on.

When you hear that trite phrase “growing the game,” the Olympics is actually a way to do that in golf. It might not inspire golfers in big golf countries such as the United States, but smaller countries who devote funding to Olympic athletes are now doing so to develop golfers who can be Olympians.

Perhaps that will take another cycle or two of Games to see that kind of impact, but it is quite likely coming.

For now, it is another opportunity to showcase some of the best in the game.

That is not to say that there aren’t issues. A jam-packed golf calendar doesn’t help. Nor does a somewhat flawed format that could use a team element in addition to individual play. The qualifying method came under scrutiny this year when U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau did not get a spot.

But it is unlikely you will hear much complaining this week, especially among those who are getting a second chance at it.

Day, who skipped in 2016, qualified for Australia and decided to take part this time along with Min Woo Lee.

“It was nice to be able to play really well last year and get myself into position and then kind of start off well at the start of the year because that’s been one of my goals is to get on the Olympic team,” Day said. “I had an opportunity and kind of wish I did end up going. At the end of the day, I was (No.) 1 or 2 in the world going into that week (in 2016), going into the Olympics, and had a legitimate chance obviously with the way I was playing.

“You live and you learn and you kind of move on. But I’m looking forward to it.”

Golf in Scotland

In advocating for more links golf last week in the aftermath of a British Open won by Xander Schauffele that had a little bit of everything at Royal Troon, it seemed prudent to do some deep research on the subject.

Over the past two weeks, yours truly managed to sample the likes of Prestwick St. Nicholas, Prestwick (the original home to the Open, site of the first 12 and 24 overall), Kilspindie, The Glen, North Berwick and Crail.

North Berwick’s West Links has become a well-known golf destination based in the tiny town of North Berwick. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas were among those who played it in the leadup to the Scottish Open, which was contested just down the road at the Renaissance Club—which is next door to one of the all-time great links courses, Muirfield, a venue for 16 Opens.

North Berwick's West Links in Scotland is popular with amateurs and pros in town for tournaments. / Bob Harig/Sports Illustrated

The Glen is the “other” course in North Berwick, which is sort of like saying Spyglass is the “other” course near Pebble Beach. Not as well-known, The Glen has been also referred to as North Berwick’s East Links.

The bottom line is you can’t go wrong with any of them.

Four of those rounds were over a five-day span in the past week while “preparing” for the Olympic golf this week in France.

“Links” is often a term used generically to describe a golf course—and it is done so incorrectly. A “links” is not interchangeable with any course. There are various definitions, sometimes not easily explained, but Golf Digest’s description is simple: “A course on oceanside sand dunes that were formed by a receding sea and covered by fertile soil from a river estuary.”

So here’s the thing about links golf: the ground is your friend! For those who can’t always carry the ball the prescribed distance, it’s nice to see a shot that is hit short bounce up onto the green or into the vicinity.

In fact, that is what gives you an appreciation of what someone like Schauffele managed to do at Royal Troon. At the highest level, golf is such an exact game. Players know how far they hit their irons within a yard or two. And that’s what makes links golf so intriguing.

You can’t just fly the ball a prescribed number to the hole. If you do, it will most likely bounce over the green. So either you hit it with an immense level of spin—something difficult to do in the wind—or you learn to play the bounces. Somehow, Schauffele hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation that final day and didn’t make a bogey.

For the less-skilled among us, the ability to run a ball onto a green and not worry about forced carries over water or bunkers makes for a more forgiving experience. Yes, the pot bunkers are troublesome, so you do your best to play around them. There is the occasional creek—called a burn—but for the most part, it's more about avoiding tall, wispy rough.

Golf in the U.K. is amazingly accessible, even for visitors, even at otherwise private clubs. They welcome outsiders because the fees help pay the bills and keep the game affordable to locals and juniors, who pay a pittance in annual dues with nearly unlimited access.

Perhaps the best part: even though nearly everyone walks (golf carts, or buggies, are rare), the expectation is that a round will take less than four hours. And it usually does.

For more information on these courses and many more, check out Scotland: Where Golf Began. The photos alone are worth your time.

Bryson, the British Open ... and other notes

After such a strong run in the major championships, Bryson DeChambeau had a disappointing showing at Royal Troon, seemingly attempting to force his long ball approach and scientific methods to a course ill-suited for such a purpose.

He more or less said he would play his game and make it work. Although that is likely a bit simplistic, DeChambeau shot 42 over his first nine holes and never recovered, finishing at 9 over for two rounds and missing the cut by two strokes.

But DeChambeau, who tied for 11th at the LIV Golf event in England on Sunday, was already talking about making changes for next year’s Open at Royal Portrush.

“For me, I learned a lot more than I had in the other three majors,” he said last week. “Playing more of American-style golf, even at Augusta, I've played there enough and I know how to play those types of golf courses for the most part. Always can get better in small areas.

“But the Open Championship has always been kind of a different one for me. I have played well in sunny, dry, normal conditions there, but when it gets really wet and windy and nasty, I've always struggled.

“Last week just felt like I broke the seal a bit in that second round. Even though I didn't play that great, I felt like I could control the golf ball for the first time in those types of conditions, and that was a huge moment for me to go, O.K, I think I can do this if I just work a little bit harder leading into this tournament in these conditions.”

DeChambeau acknowledged the whims of Open weather but also noted how Xander Schauffele managed to handle it the best.

“You always have to have luck on your side in certain conditions, but playing really steady golf like Xander did showed that it doesn't matter; you can win with just a consistent good game,” he said. “He obviously conquered that challenge, and one that I'm looking forward to next year.”

> The Olympics comes with perks, some more important than others. In a pro game that is now paying upwards of $3 million to major championship winners, the men’s player who wins Olympic gold will get $50,000. Various Olympic organizing committees also give payments to medalists. In the case of the U.S., it is $37,500 for gold, $22,250 for silver and $15,000 for bronze.

> Clearly the biggest perk is a spot in the major championships. That’s not a concern for the likes of Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler, but it is for Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, who plays for LIV Golf. A gold medal means spots in all four major championships next year.

> A victory also means a spot in the Players Championship (for now, provided you are not playing for LIV Golf) and a spot in the season-opening Sentry if you are a PGA Tour member.

> Not to be forgotten: Official World Golf Ranking points. That will be determined once the tournament is underway, but in 2021 Schauffele received 50 points for winning. That is half of what you get for winning a major but it’s in line with regular PGA Tour events—a bit less than the Farmers Insurance Open, for example.

> Schauffele’s major championship record looks pretty impressive now with two victories. He’s played in 30 majors, with 15 top 10s and eight top 5s. He’s missed just five cuts.

> Lucas Glover withdrew from the 3M Championship ... because he got stuck in Amsterdam. The two-time winner last year on the PGA Tour missed the cut at the Open, otherwise he’d have been on a charter with other players to Minneapolis on Sunday night.

But he attempted to get home Saturday and was delayed for several days due to the computer issues that various airlines are dealing with. That cost him a chance to move up in the FedEx Cup standings. He is currently outside of the top 70 with one event left to determine who makes the FedEx Cup playoffs.

> Glover is the defending champion at the last regular season event, the Wyndham Championship, which takes place after a week off for the Olympics. Among those in need of a big week at the Wyndham will be Rickie Fowler, who despite the advantage of playing in all of the signature events this year, is languishing at 102nd in FedEx Cup points.